215 Tasting Notes
Dry tea is glorously tippy, with an aroma like toasted angel food cake with raisins. Medium-hued liquor with notes of brown sugar and vanilla is smooth and self-drinking. Not as brisk as some Yunnan blacks, but clean finishing, nonetheless.
Preparation
I shared a small pot of this with my son. No rinse before the first steep, which was mild and unremarkable, with only a slight lemon scent and very little lemon flavor. The second steep was no better, yielding only a little of wood, caramel and honey tastes, and a dearth of aroma. It was the thin body, dry mouth feel, and unpleasant lingering astringency which put us both off the most. Very disappointing.
Preparation
An unusual, interesting blend, but I’m not sure it’s an improvement on plain white tea. You see, I find plain white tea to be anything but plain. Of course, teabag-grade tea could be expected to be less flavorful than its full-leaf forbears. Maybe it’s the lime zest. Unlike lemon, which accentuates the floral notes, the lime seems to bring out something more earthy. And then there’s cucumber. If you omit the skin, what flavor is cucumber? It has a vegetal freshness, I think, but it’s a shy, retiring essence, overwhelmed by the lime. I wanted the lime to surprise me, to wake me up, but it wasn’t punchy enough to do that. It adds a savory dimension, but I think the lime would give a better effect when paired with a base other than white tea. Plus, I kept wanting to add a dash of salt!
Preparation
Good pu-erh for beginners with this type. Not exotic, but mild. Earthy enough to introduce new folks to the type — black tea which has gone on to the next incarnation. Notes of toasted grain, black pepper, leather, tobacco (faint). More leather in the 2nd steep, and sweeter.
Preparation
To my delight, this beautifully made tea greets me with a fruity, toasty nose. Two tsp of the loose, open blend are measured into my pre-heated, closed infuser for a 12-oz mug. The golden medium-amber liquor is smooth, with just a hint of astringency. The tea’s description begins with Keemun, so the smoke and fruit notes must hark from that Chinese region, rather than an Indian Darjeeling (more commonly used in EB blends). Quite good plain, there was only a tablespoon or two left when I added a tsp of vanilla soy milk. The result was a bit more richness and sweetness, without detracting from the true black-tea effect — a nice mix. The wholeness of the brewed leaves was attested to by how quickly the infuser rinsed out. The use of Keemun in this English Breakfast blend makes it stand out amongst the better ones I’ve tasted. It’s flavor and aroma lingered in my satisfied smile!
Preparation
This dry tea is very loose, indeed. Long, graceful leaves with only a bit of twist, accompanied by long sections of stems make this one difficult to measure without a scale. Ten second rinse before first steep. Notes of spring meadow, asparagus, and lemon. A sweet, creamy taste and mouthfeel made me sip again and again. This is a delicate tea which requires time. Some things cannot be had from the liquor — try sniffing the steaming leaves. Then, in the 2nd steep, open your senses for artichoke, lilac and new-mown hay!
Preparation
The calendula and chamomile lend the fruity notes, I think, with lavender leading the floral ones. Underlying these is a mild straw-green base with a slight mint finish. A very pleasant drink, one which did seem to settle me a bit, both tummy and nerves. All organic, all pretty darn good for me, and I enjoyed it all, just as-is! If an infusion can be said to be reassuring, then Mountain Rose’s Fairytale Tea provided me a reassuring cup!
Preparation
This obviously has ingredients other than black tea and bergamot oil, hence it might more correctly be compared with Lady Grey teas. It seems to include a citrus other than bergamot. The bergamot is a bit less flowery than my favorite Earl Grey. The tea is better quality, more piquant than that used in most flavored teas. For bergamot, I prefer another. For black tea, this Earl Grey Bravo from Adagio comes out ahead.
So it isn’t smokey or peppery. Interesting.
No smoke or pepper that I discerned. “Not as brisk” might have been due to my making it less strong than other folks might do. Using more leaf or an extra min of steep might bring out a more classic Yunnan profile. But the Yunnan golds get much of their popularity from their smoothness, do they not? Suits me, as I avoid the bitter tastes!
I’ve usually heard Yunnans described as ‘peppery’ or ‘malty’ which doesn’t really equate ‘smooth’ to me, but I’ve only tried Adagio’s Yunnan Jig so I’m hardly an expert. ;)
Gosh, taste (and all the senses) are so personal - and my taste buds are 65 yrs old. Not an expert, either. Just got into loose leaf a year ago. Starting a local tea meetup group a few months ago has sent me into a steep learning curve. I enjoy reading your notes and comments, Jillian. There is so much more to tea, and life, to learn, and we’re nicely steeped in it! :)) .